DUTCH LOOK TO EASTERN EUROPE FOR VEAL CALVES

(DUTCH) BUSINESS NEWS

Dutch demand for veal calves may have to be satiated by imports
from eastern Europe following the European Union ban on British
beef, industry officials said on Wednesday. The Netherlands
imports around 100,000 live calves a year in a trade that has
incited much protest in the U.K. British calves as young as two
weeks old are imported and then fattened and slaughtered at
around 24 weeks. The EU Commission on Wednesday declared a
global ban on British beef exports over fears of the spread of
mad cow disease -- Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy -- and its
human equivalent Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Last week, major
Dutch retailer Albert Heijn removed British beef from its
shelves and the Dutch unit of U.S. hamburger giant McDonalds
withdrew 60 tonnes of Northern Irish meat. According to
industry officials there had been some tail off in demand for
beef generally, whatever its origin, but believed this would
soon return now that the EU ban had been imposed. The Dutch are
more than self sufficient in beef, producing around 400,000
tonnes a year. Domestic consumption is estimated at 300,000
tonnes and exports at 250,000. Imports from the UK were around
30,000 tonnes last year.